Can programs be installed on a seperate HD, or do they always go in C:\Program Files?

depends on the program, most allow you to change it some dont. sometimes its just on the different screens of normal setup, but whenever theres options like "advanced" click them and itll probably be on there.
 
You can change the default install directory in the registry, have a google :)

Basically when installing instead of coming up with "C:\program files\application name", it'll come up with "whatever you've changed it to in the registry\application name."
 
Most applications will let you specify the install directory. The ones that don't might be 'System drive' specific applications.
 
only programs that run all the time (like an antivirus program) are the ones that i wouldn't install on a removable drive
 
I used to install my games and programs to a diffrent partition to my XP one. Only think not to install to a different drive is your Anti virus and drivers.
 
Energize said:
You can install them almost anywhere, another hdd, a usb pen drive, another pc on the network, on a dvd even.
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Hmmm since we have vista, does this work, ie .when u format the dvd into udf for it to work with vista, can you just set setup to install a game there? If so then it's awesome imo, who needs hdd's :D .
Saves&settings usually go into application data or my docs anyhow.
 
Should do. I don't reccomend it though, dvds have access times of about 100ms and transfer rates of 27MB/s @ 20x, games would take at least 3x as long to load.
 
Energize said:
Should do. I don't reccomend it though, dvds have access times of about 100ms and transfer rates of 27MB/s @ 20x, games would take at least 3x as long to load.
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For old games though it'll be fine I recon, even though I have 1.26 TB ( sig outdated, one of my maxtors died...), its all full, I can't install almost anything anywhere...
 
snowdog said:
when u format the dvd into udf for it to work with vista, can you just set setup to install a game there? If so then it's awesome imo, who needs hdd's :D .
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well done. that's the stupidest post i've read in quite awhile. :D
 
marc2003 said:
well done. that's the stupidest post i've read in quite awhile. :D
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How so? In vista when you copy stuff onto a dvd it's almost like copying onto a hdd?

I just can't be bothered buying 2 more hdd's for my pc, they cost so much per gb compared to dvd's :( .
 
well if it works for you then go for it. :cool:

but lots of programs need write access to program files too. not all files are written to appdata/temp folders. :)
 
Energize said:
Wouldn't dvd ram or mount rainier allow you to do that?
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hehe i'm completely ignorant of that. i just had to look it up. like i said, if it works then go for it. :)

i'd rather invest in more disk space. i just don't see the point in it? surely it's meant for writing document files and other stuff you might want to transfer between machines - not for installing and running applications. :)
 
Alternatively you can move C:\Program Files onto a different hdd. I always did this when I had XP. There is two ways, console: mountvol OR the gui way in computer management in Admin tools. This way you have everything in programme files on another hdd and dont have to have another drive letter.

I personally do not like having 15 drives in My Computer.
 
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